According to Yahoo! Sports, Seattle Mariners Felix Hernandez has left his start in the bottom of the fifth inning with a sprained left ankle. This, after Hernanez connected on a four run tater in the top of the second inning.

According to MLB.com,
Here is the video of Hernandez being taken out by Beltran. WOW! That looks painful!

More information to come as the severity of the injury is discovered.

The bloggers poll had run into some uncertainty a few weeks back. Despite changing locations and voting method, the Blogger's Poll has not missed a step.

The poll for the American League utilized results up until June 15th. You can head over to RotoJunkie and see the results.

I won't spend a lot of time behind my votes, as my rationale has been posted along with the overall results at RotoJunkie, but here is how I voted:

MVP
Winner - Milton Bradley
Runner Up - Grady Sizemore
3rd - B.J. Upton

Bradley has simply been raking. I feel that his bat has done a lot of good for Josh Hamilton and if Bradley wasn't in town, Hamilton wouldn't be putting up half the numbers he is. Grady and B.J. are the best players on their respective teams, as well as being outstanding fielders. I am also a big Indians fan!

Cy Young
Winner - Shaun Marcum
Runner Up - Felix Hernandez
3rd - Scott Kazmir

I have a tough time believing that Marcum actually has a legitimate shot at winning this, but from what I have seen, Marcum has been the best pitcher in the American League this year. Like Bradley, my first place vote is like the kiss of death. Felix seems to be putting things together, and it will be interesting how the Mariners pitchers react to having a rookie behind the plate. Kazmir has been unhittable at times and his fiery attitude has turned into some great results.

Rookie of the Year
Winner - Jacoby Ellsbury
Runner Up - Evan Longoria
3rd - Aaron Laffey

There is hardly competition here. Ellsbury is out in front by a large margin. Longoria has done his best to shorten the gap, and his excellent fielding has helped, but I think the steals and on base percentage are simply too much at this point. Laffey has been solid, but one has to worry how many of his ground balls will make it to the outfield with Asdrubal in Buffalo.

I encourage everyone to give feedback on my votes, and/or to suggest whom they would have voted for. Keep in mind, however, that this is a 'if the season were to end today' vote.

Mike Wilner of Toronto's FAN 590 is reporting that Blue Jays manager John Gibbons is to be relieved of his position before tonights game in Pittsburgh. A press conference is scheduled later this afternoon.

Definitely more to come on this report.

Update - 1:28PM EST
It has become official. Gibbons, Witt, Peavy among others are out according to Wilner. Only two members of the coaching staff remain, what an overhaul!

Ex-Jays manager Cito Gaston has taken over the job. Gaston, along with the rest of the early 90s coaching staff are back.

Update - 1:42PM EST
Gaston's job is being referred to as 'interim'. Wilner recalls the last time Gaston was named the interim manager he stuck around for 8 years.

"Curt Schilling told WEEI's Dennis & Callahan Show this morning that he will have season ending surgery on Monday." The 41 year-old will hang them up this season and it looks unlikely as though Schilling will pitch again.

 

WEEI promises to provide the audio clip when it becomes available, so we'll be keeping an eye out for that. In the meantime, here are two articles pertaining to Schilling's shoulder from Spring Training. One from Curt himself, the other from MLB.com citing Terry Francona.

More information to come...

WEEI reports that the surgery is classified as major and if he were to return to baseball, it wouldn't be until after the 2009 All-Star Break.

In a nail-biter of a game, Chicago Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano left in the 7th after recording two outs with what WGN Superstation is reporting as 'right shoulder discomfort'. In other words, 'bad news'.

Unfortunately I did not get to see the injury first hand, and according to MLB's Gameday, Zambrano was still registering his typical 92/93 MPH on his fast balls. However, on the last pitch of the night for big Z, no. 100, his fastball was at 89 MPH. Not as substantial as the decrease in velocity that Putz had a week ago, but nonetheless noteworthy.

More updates to come...

Victor Martinez left the game in the bottom of the first after his first at bat. ESPNews is reporting that it is an issue with his leg, however MLB.com (and STO) are asserting that it is an issue with his arm.

The hamstring would make more sense as Victor has struggled with this injury since the beginning of the season, but with two reports suggesting there is something with his arm, maybe we are just now hearing about an injury that had been lingering and sapping Martinez of all of his power.

More updates to come...

Update - 8:26PM EST
MLB.com has now come out with its report saying that it is in fact inflammation of the elbow. According to the report,

More updates when they arrive.

Pitching in the bottom of the ninth, JJ Putz exited this afternoon's game against the Toronto Blues.

Facing  his first batter of the inning, Putz let go of what appeared to be a fastball which clocked in at 84mph (according to FSN) against Super Joe Inglett. After the pitch, which crossed up Jenji Johjima, you could see Putz shaking his arm.

A few pitches later, and Johjima was calling the trainer and manager to the mound to check out Putz, whom appeared very reluctant to leave his outing after walking one and getting ahead of his second hitter early.

It has obviously been a very frustrating season for Putz, who had been an absolutely dominant relief pitcher over the last two seasons. He has missed time with an oblique strain earlier this season and it will be interesting to see what Putz is diagnosed with. I am left thinking back to when Eric Gagne's 2005 season was cut short while undergoing Tommy John surgery. Gagne started that season on the disabled list due to an unrelated injury. A change in delivery could have been the mitigating circumstance to putting an end to Gagne's season.

I wonder if the same thing is going on with Putz?